The present invention relates to dentistry in general, and more particularly to a dental positioning device for facilitating drilling of bores in teeth in order for the bores to receive a dental retaining splint for the reinforcement and retention of dentition in the mouth.
The use of dental splints for reinforcing natural teeth is well known in the art. However, prior art dental splints have been accompanied by serious limitations. For example, frequently the securing pins for the splint structure are disposed in horizontal parallelism. As a consequence, the use of such splints have been restricted mainly to anterior teeth. Also, the complexity involved in installing such splints have also restricted their use.
In the aforementioned co-pending parent application, there has been described a new dental retaining splint which is formed of a bar-like member having tubular members extending perpendicularly therefrom with the tubular members having axial openings extending therethrough. The splint is first temporarily held, by means of a temporary wax, in a channel formed in adjacent teeth. The tubular members then function as guides for a drill to form pilot holes in the teeth. The splint is then removed and the pilot holes function as lead holes for the formation of enlarged bores to receive the tubular members therein for retaining the adjacent teeth in a fixed position. The splint is then repositioned in the channel so that the tubular members are disposed in the bores formed therefor. An inlay fills in the channel and covers the splint in the final procedure step.
In utilizing such improved dental retaining splints, the accuracy and alignment of the bores is an important factor. This is one of the reasons why the dental retaining splint, which serves as the drill guide, is inserted in the channel and retained by means of the wax. The wax holds the splint sufficiently firm to utilize it as an accurate drill guide.
However, the use of the temporary wax requires additional time, effort, and further manipulation in the patient's mouth. Also, occasionally, if the wax does not hold securely enough, it is possible for the splint to slide within the channel and thus the holes which are formed may not be accurately spaced to subsequently receive the splint for its final retention of the teeth.
Furthermore, it might occasionally be necessary to drill two holes in subsequent operations. Accordingly, after the first hole is drilled, it might be necessary to remove the drill guide so as to be able to take x-rays or to provide for further manipulation or checking of the accuracy of the location of the hole. Subsequently, the drill guide must be repositioned into the mouth at the same location in order to drill the second hole. However, once the drill guide has been removed, it is difficult to reposition it accurately in order to align the second hole so that it will be able to accurately receive the retaining splint.
Although the dental retaining splint when used as a drill guide may only have two tubular members, it is possible to form a continuous chain of splints which will fit into a channel which extends across more than two adjacent teeth. Accordingly, by using one of the retaining splints as a drill guide in a leap frog manner, it is possible to form a continuous series of holes. Subsequently, the splints will be inserted into these continuous holes, the splints having straight line segments in order to proximate the curvature of the teeth in that portion of the mouth.
With such splints extending over a series of teeth, it is necessary to space the new hole accurately from the previous hole. By using a splint as the drill guide with only two tubular sections, it is necessary to continuously remove it and reposition it at the next adjacent location. Accordingly, accurate relocation is necessary for proper positioning of the splint. Such would be difficult when the splint has to be continuously held by means of the temporary wax.